Associations Between Screen Time and Child Internalizing and Externalizing Behaviour Problems: A Meta-Analysis
Date
2021-08-19
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Abstract
Background: Research on the effects of screen time on child outcomes has increased exponentially in response to the ubiquity of digital media. However, due to mixed findings, significant debate exists as to whether screen time is associated with problematic child outcomes, including internalizing and externalizing problems. It is important to understand the methodological differences that may be contributing to heterogeneity in findings and the possible risks and benefits of screen time to inform parents, clinicians, policy-makers, and future research. Objectives: To 1) meta-analytically determine the association between screen time (i.e., duration of use) and child externalizing and internalizing problems; 2) identify moderators that may contribute to discrepancies in the literature and point to areas for methodological improvement in future research. Method: Electronic searches were conducted in MEDLINE, Embase, and PsycINFO in June of 2019 and 22,528 non-duplicate articles were identified and screened for inclusion. Quantity of screen time was defined as the duration of time children spend viewing screens (e.g., television, tablets, video games, and/or computers, etc.). Child behaviour problems included externalizing (e.g., aggression, hyperactivity) and/or internalizing (e.g., depression, anxiety) behavioural symptoms or clinical diagnoses. Results: After screening all abstracts for inclusion, 434 full-text articles were assessed for eligibility and a total of 64 studies (with 74 unique samples; 85,225 participants) met all inclusion criteria. Results revealed that screen time was associated with more externalizing problems (k = 72, r = 0.12; 95% CI [0.10, 0.14]). Moderator analyses suggested that effect sizes were larger for males, in older studies, in studies examining aggression (vs. hyperactivity/inattention). Effect sizes were larger when the screen time informant was the child versus the parent. A separate meta-analysis revealed that screen time was also associated with more internalizing problems (k = 26, r = 0.07, 95% CI [0.04, 0.11]) and moderator analyses suggested that effect sizes were larger when the screen time informant was the child (vs. parent). Conclusions: These meta-analyses support small but significant associations between screen time and children’s behaviour problems. Methodological differences across studies were one of the most common contributors to mixed findings in the literature.
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Keywords
Screen time, Child Development, Behavior Problems, Meta-Analysis
Citation
Eirich, R. (2021). Associations Between Screen Time and Child Internalizing and Externalizing Behaviour Problems: A Meta-Analysis (Master's thesis, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada). Retrieved from https://prism.ucalgary.ca.